The Youth Congress, a leading youth-serving organization in
Kenya, has unveiled a nationwide initiative aimed at mobilizing and empowering
first-time voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Projections indicate that millions of young Kenyans will
cast their ballots for the first time in 2027, forming a powerful voting bloc
with the potential to shape the country’s democratic future.
Recognizing this, the Youth Congress has rolled out; “The Youth
Voice: Activating First-Time Voters for Kenya’s 2027 General Elections,” a
voter education campaign designed to equip young people with the knowledge,
skills, and confidence to participate meaningfully in the electoral process.
Through school, college, and community-based sessions, the
program will educate first-time voters on the importance of their
participation, how elections are conducted, and how to make informed choices at
the ballot.
The initiative comes as the Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission (IEBC) prepares to resume Continuous Voter Registration
and mount a nationwide registration drive.
Nearly six million new voters, most of them youth, are expected to join the roll in the run-up to the 2027 polls.
Speaking at the campaign launch, Raphael Obonyo, co-founder
of The Youth Congress, called on young people to step forward and take charge
of the process.
“Well-meaning youth with Kenya at heart must help mobilize
unregistered young people to register in readiness for the 2027 poll,” he said.
He emphasized that youth-led action, backed by civil
society, development partners, and well-wishers, would be crucial to the
campaign’s success.
“A better way to achieve a huge registration of youth would be for young people to take ownership of the process,” Obonyo said.
“By contrast, nothing would harm Kenya’s democracy more than
having a large youth constituency remain unregistered. That would only serve
the interests of politicians who thrive on youth apathy.”
With the elections drawing closer, the campaign underscores
the growing importance of young people as drivers of democratic change and
accountability in Kenya.
